Milking-machine



I. C,. B EEM. MILKI-NG MIIcHlIIE.v APPLICATION FILED mente@ 'May w,1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

iiNiTEn STATES PATENT JOHN C. BEEM, OF SAVTELLE, CALIFORNIA.

MILKING-MACH1NE.

i ,amara To all 1li/tom t may concern i Be it known that I, JOHN C.Bitner, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sawtelle, in thecounty of Los Angeles and State of California, have inventedl certainnew and useful Improvements in Milking-Mw chilies, of which Athefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates t0 milking machines and is designed moreparticularly as an improvement on the milking machine forming thesubject matter of my cepending application filed October 4, 1918, SerialNo. 256,846.

In the structure embodied in my said copending application I have foundthat if in rthe operation of the machine an insufficient Another objectof the invention is to iin-- prore the construction of the valve devicesfor controlling the infiow of milk to the cylinder and the outflow ofmilk therefrom.

ji. further object of the invention is to provide means whereby agreater number of cows may be milked simultaneously in the operation ofthe machine than is possible in the structure shown in my said copendingY f is remedied by means which will now be application.

'in the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a view partly in side elevation and partly in verticallongitudinal section iilustra ling the machine embodying the intention;

F 2 is asimilar view illustrating the valve mechanism for controllingthe inflow and outflow of the milk;

Fig, 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view on the line 3-8 of Fig.1;

t is a perspective view of one of the removabie heads for the cylinder;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view illustrating the devices whereby the ina-chineis adapted for simultaneous milking of four cows;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 16, 1919.

Patented May it), 1921.

Serial No. 297,500.

F ig. 6 is a detail horizontal sectional view through one of the valvesshown in F ig. 5. As, except for the improvements to be hereinafterspecifically pointed out, the apparatus is fully illustrated anddescribed in my said copending application, it is thought that a briefdescription of the features conimon to the two applications will hereinsuflice. In the drawings the numeral l indicates the base of the machineand upon this base there is mounted a casing 2 which is substantiallycylindrical and in which reciprocates a piston head 3, the movement ofthis piston head being effected by any suitable means as for example amanually or vpower operated head 4 having suitable connection therewith.The numerals 5 and 6 indicate two receiving` chambers which are ofrubber or other suitable elastic material y i and which are secured atadjacentl ends to the opposite sides of the piston head 3 and at theirrelatively remote ends are secured within the casing to preferably twoheads indicated by the numerals 7 and 8 respectively, which are arrangedwithin the ends of the said casing. In the reciprocation of the pistonhead 3, the milk will be drawn through theV medium of valve devices tobe presently described alternately into the.

chambers 5 and 6 and alternately discharged therefrom.

As heretofore pointed out in the structure of the copending application,it is imprao ticable toreciprocate the piston if milk is drawn from theudder of the cow in insui'iicient quantity to till either receivingchamber at such time open by way of the valve device for the iuiiow ofmilk. This di'tiiculty described. The numerals 9 and l0 indicatecleanout heads or plugs which are threaded Vinto openings in the heads 7and 8 respecing or duct 11 communicates with this recess 13, the 'valve12 will normally close the said duct so that when the piston head 3 ismoving in the direction of the said respective head, the valve will beclosed and no air can escape from the respective receiving chainber byway of the said opening or duct. However, when the said opening or duct11 is open and the piston head 3 is moving in a direction to create asuction within the respective receiving chamber 5 or 6 as the case maybe, under con cli-tions to he presently explained, air will be permittedto enter the said receiving chamher by way of the said duct. 1n orderthat the passage of air through each duct may be controlled at the willof the operator, a valve device is provided and this device comprises ahead 15 having a threaded shank 16 fitted into a threaded bore 17 formedin the respective clean-out head or plug at the outer end thereof. Thesaidfhead is provided with a circumferential iiange 18 having an opening19 therein and the head` may be manually rotated so as to position theopening 19 in oi' out of registration with the outer end of therespective duct 11. In order to limit such rotative movement of the head15, a stop pin or shoulder 2O is provided upon the outer face or end ofthe said respective clean-out plug and the flange 18 is formed withshoulders -21 and 22 located at spaced points in its circumference andadapted to engage against the said pin or shoulder 20. Thus for examplewhen the head 15 is in position with the shoulder 21 engaging the pin asshown in Fig. 3 of the drawings the opening 19 will register with theduct 11 and air may be admitted to the respective receiving chamber whenthe piston head 3 is moving in a direction to create suction within thechainber. Onthe other hand wiieii the head 15 is rotated so as to bringthe shoulder 22 in engagement with the pin 2O the opening 19 will he outof registration with the end of the duct 11 and this end of the ductwill therefore he closed by the flange 18 so that no air can be drawninto the respective receiving chamber past the valve 12.

Under normal conditions the valve 12 will remain closed and the heads 15will be rotated to such position that their flanges will close the outeror intake ends of the respective ducts 11. 1f, however, toward the endof the milking operation and at an intermediate point in the movement orstroke of the piston head 3 in one direction, milk in suiiicientyquantity cannot be drawn from the udder of the cow to lill the chamber5 or 6, as the case may be, which at that time constitutes a receiving`or suction uchamher, the operator of the machine may rotate therespective valve head 15 so as to bring the opening 19 into registrationwith the duct 11 thus permitting the piston head 3 to complete itsstroke due to the fact that air will be drawn into the respectivereceiving chamber in volume sufhcient to complete the lilling or thesaid chamoer. By the valve devices to he presently described, when thepiston is moved iii the opposite direction the milk drawn into thechamber Just'referred "to will he discharged therefrom and inastweenwhich milk might ircuir-.ulate and sour thus contaminating m15.subsequentli,Y

delivered from the machine. llie valve drin the ends or heads of thecasing 2 as clearlyv shown in F ig. 2 of the drawings .fit its oppositeends the tubular casing is ez;- teriorly threaded as indicated by thenumeral`25, and Afitted upon one end of the casing is a cap 26 whichhas, a squared outer end orhead 27 for the application of a wrenchwhereby it may be tightened and which at its inner end hears against awasher 2S litted onto the said end of the casing` and seating against aportion of the adjacent end or head of the said casing 2. similar cap 29is threaded onto the opposite end of the casing and isprovidcd with asquared hea-d 30 for the application of :i wrench and at its inner endbears against a washer 31 which seats against a portion of the other endor head of the said casing In this manner the tubular casing 23 is curedinV a liquid-tight manner within the heads ofthe casing 2 and againstdisplacement. The numeral 32 indicates milk passageway or duct at thefirst mentioned end of the casing 2 and the numeral 33 indicates asimilar passageway at the opposite end of the said casing 2. Pipes andfrom the lower ends Vof the passage 83 respectively and at their upthese passages open through the respective heads of the casing 2 andtherefore ecirmunicate with the interior of the casing at opposite sidesof the piston heac 3, or, in otherwords, communicate with respectiveones of the receiving chambers of 'the niachine. The pipes 311 and 35extend toward each other and are connected loy a union 36 with a milkoutlet or discharge pipe 3T through which the discharged n ilk may flowto a pail or other suitable receptacle.

lll)

The ir'stV mentioned end of the tubular casing 23 is interiorlyincreased in diameter as indicated by the numeral 38, and tted withinthis enlarged lportion of the casing is a tubular lining 39 of anysuitable packing material as for example rubber, the inner end of thislining engaging against the shoulder 40 formed by enlarging the bore ofthe said casing. A reducing collar 4l is also fitted within this end ofthe casing 23 and secured therein in any. suitable manner andabutsagainst the outer end ot' the lining 39 as clearly shown in Fig. 2.rIhe numeral 42 indicates the milk inlet tube which may be oi' rubber orany other suitable material and which leads from the teat cups, as willvbe presently explained, andouter end oi the collar 4l, and the capV whentightened bearing against the shoulder 44 so as to insure or' aliquid-tight tit or' the tube 42 within the intake end of the casing 23.By this simple construction and arrangement of parts the tube 42 issecurely connected in communication with the casing 23 in a liquid-tightmanner and repairs may be readily etiected. It is furthermore preterablethat the collar 43 beof a length slightly greater than the distancebetween the outer end of the collar 4l and the outer adjacent end of thecasing`23 s0 that prior to tightening of the cap 2G, the collar 43 willproject a slight distance beyond the said end or extremity or" the saidcasing, thus providingv for compression ot the collar by the head of thecap 26 when the cap is tightened. Inlike manner the casing 23 at itsopposite end is interiorly enlarged 1n diameter as indicated by thenumeral. 4G and fitted in the .enlargement is a tubu lar lining 47corresponding to the lining- 39. This lining will presently be morespeciiically referred to.

The passage 32 and the casing 23 intersect as clearly shown in Fig. r2of the drawj ings, and in order to provide for passage of milk past thesaid casing, the casing is formed with alined openings 48 which registerwith the said passage at the point of intersection. of the passage andcasing, and the tubular lining 39 is similarly formed with alinedopenings 49 which register with the openings 48. For thesame purpose,the casing 23 at its point of intersection with the passage 33 is formedwith alined openings 50, andthe lining 47 is Jformed with openings 5lwhich register with the said openings y50.

The valve element of the device is indicated in general by the numeral52 and the same comprises a tubular body 53 provided at one end with asolid stem 54 which tits slidably through an opening 55 inthe head 30 ofthe cap 29, this stem being designed to be reciprocated in consonancewith-the piston head 3 either by the means illustrated and described linmy said copending application or by any other suitablemeans. The valvebody 53 fits more or less snugly within the bore of the casing 23 andwithin the tubular linings 39 and 47 heretofore -described, the ittingot' the'said valve body within the linings being of a liquid-tightcharacter so that there can be no leakage oi' milk past the parts. Atits end opposite thc stem 54, the tubular valve body 53 is open andVunobstructed as indicated by the numeral 56 and adjacent this end the'said body is circumferentially reduced in diameter as indicated by thenumeral 57 so as to f T in- Y provide a passageway or by-pass 58. wardlyof the passageway 58 the body is formed in its upper side with anopening 59.V Vhen the valve is in the position shown in Fig. 2 of thedrawings, the passageway or by-pass 58 will be located in alinement withthe openings 48 and 49 and the passage and consequently milk may flowfrom the left hand receiving' chamber throughl the said passage and pastthe valve into the pipe 34 and out through the discharge `pipe 37. lVhenthe valve is shifted to the left in said i'igure, however, the opening59 will be brought into registration with the opening 49 in the upperside of the lining 39, and with the valve in this position milk flowingin through the tube 42 will pass into the open end 56 otl the valve bodyand through the openings 59, 49 and 48 and into the passage 32 andthesaid lett hand receiving chamber. Substantially at its point oi'connection with its stem` 54, the valve body 53 is formed with adiametrical opening GO and inwardly kof this opening it is formed in theupper side with an opening 61. When the valve is in the position shownin Fig. 2 the opening Gl will be in registration with the opening 5l inthe upper side of the lining 47 and milk flowing into the valve bodythrough the intake pipe 42 will pass upwardly through the said opening61 and the openings 5l and 50 through the passage 33 into the right handreceiving chamber or"V the machine. On the other hand when the valvebody is shifted to the left as previously mentioned above the opening GOwill be brought into registration and alinement with the opening 5l and50 and the passage 33 and milk may iiow out from the right handreceiving chamber through the said passage 33 and past the valve andthencesinto the pipe 35 and out through the discharge pipe 37. It willnow be underiio" stood that as the valve is moved in consonance With thereciprocatory movement of the piston head 3, when the valve is in theposition shown in Fi g. 2 and the piston head is moving toward the left,milk which has been drawn into the left hand receiving chamber will bedischarged t irough the passage 32 past the valve into the pipe 3e andout through the discharge pipe 3? to the collecting receptacle. At thesame time the movement of the piston is creating a suction force Withinthe right hand chamber andas a result. milk will be drawn into theintake tube l2 passing through the valve body 53 and up through'theopening 61 into the passage 33 and into the said right hand receivingchamber. As the piston 3 is moving on its return stroke or, in otherWords, toward the right in Fig. 2 and the valve has been shifted so asto bring its openings 59 and G0 in alinement With the passages 32 and 33respectively, milk drawn in through the tube 42 by reason of the suctioncreated Within the lett hand receiving chamber, Will pass upwardlythrough the opening 59 and passage 32 into the said chamber. @n theother hand the milk which has been previously drawn into the right handchamber will be discharged through the passage 33 and opening GO intothe pipe 85 and out through the discharge pipe 37. rlChus in theloperation of the machine there is a continual flow of milk into themachine and a continual discharge ofmilk from the machine..

The milk intake tube l2 shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings may leadcirectly to single one or several teat cups although it is i reterablyto employ the arrangement shown in Figs. l, 5, and 6, of the drawings,by which arrangement four or a less number of cows may be simultaneouslymilked. ln this arrangement the tube l2 is replaced by a rigid tube 61opening at its inner end into the valve casing 23 and at its outer endbeing fitted into one side of a valve casing 62 and communicating withthe interior thereof by Way of a port 63 in the said cas- Y ing. Thiscasing has preferably oppositely located branch inlet ports Gl fromwhich lead pipes or tubes 65. The casing 62 is interiorly cylindrical toprovide a valve chamber 66 and mounted for turning movement Within thischamber is a segmental valve head 67 which may be rotated to suchposition, through manipulation of its stem 68 a hand button 69 connectedwith the upper end thereof, to close either or' the ports 64 or touncover both of said ports, or the head may be rotated to position toclose the port 63. rllhus when the valve head 67 is in positionuncovering both of the ports (Se, vmilk may flow in through both of thetubes and through the port 63 into the tube 61, and when the head is inposition closing one ol' the ports 64.-, milk Will be drawn in throughonly one of the tubes 65 and into the tube 61. On the other hand whenthe vvalve head is in position closing the port 63 no milk will be drawnin through either port 6l. The branch pipes or tubes G5 which arepreferably rigid communicate With other valve casings 70 substantiallyidentical in construction with the casing and each containing` a valvecorresponding in construction and arrangement to the valve 6.7, theselatter valves being manipulated by hand butt-ons or wheels 71 upon theirrespective stems. Each of the casings TO has connected to it intakepipes 72 preferably leading into the casing through opposite endsthereof and these tubes are preferably flexible and may be for exampleof rubber reinforced or sti'lfened by a suitable wrapping of Wire. Eachof these tubes 72 is designed to conduct the milk from a single cov.yand as there arc tour of the tubes, -four cows may be simultaneouslymilked as ,vill be presently explained. However, by manipulating thevalves 71, any one or more of the tubes 72 may be closed so that theapparatus may be adapted for the milking of three or tivo coivs as Wellas four cows or a single coiv.

l make no claim herein broadly to the means for controlling the flosv ofmilk to and `from the receiving chambers which consist of a tubularvalve casing and a tubular valve mounted for r ciprocation in saidcasing and having ports and passages adapted to register alternatelywith the ports of the said chambers, such claims being presented in myapplication hereinbefore identiiied. l

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed as new is:

1. ln milking apparatus, a milk-receiving chamber, the outer end Wall ofthe chamber having an opening therethrough to permit access to thechamber, means for admitting` milk to said chamber', means for creatingsuction in said chamber, a plug removably fitted in and filling theopening through the end Wall olf said chamber and having a longitudinalair passage therethrough eccentric to its axis, a checklvalve carried bythe plug at the inner end or" said air passage and admitting airdirectly into the chamber and preventing escape of air therefrom, and aconcentric valve disk rotatably mounted on the outer end of the plugwith its edge portion extending over the outer end of the air passageand normally closing the same, said disk having an opening through itsvedge portion adapted to register With the outer end of the air passageand permit liovv therethrough.

2. In milking apparatus, a milk receiving chamber, means for creatingsuction in the said chamber, an inlet for the chamber in- CFT clucling etubular element extending therefrom and in Communication therewith andprovided interiorly with :t shoulder', a milk inlet tube ttecl into thesaid tubular element and et its end against the shoulder therein, thesaid tube being provided with u compressible circumferentialenlargement, and :L oep iitted to the said tubular element and having anopening for the passage of the tube and engageable at its portionsurrounding` the opening against the said compressible circumferentialenlargement or the tube whereby to compress the seme therebetween undthe Seid shoulder Within the tubular element.

In testimony whereof I eliiX my signature.

JOHN o. BEEM. [L 5.]

